Shoe stretcher and former.



O. BINZEL.

SHOE STRETCHER AND FORMER.

APPLICATION men uov.4, 191s.

Patented May15,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

o a'mwd O. BINZEL.

SHOE STRETCHER AND FORMER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 191a.

Patented May 15, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- TYNTT %TTE% PATENT @FIFTQE.

OTTO BINZEL, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

SHOE STRETCHER AND FORMER.

Application filed November 4, 1916. t

. b all "whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, OTTO BINZEL, a sub ject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at .Vilmington, in the county of New Castle and State of Delaware, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shoe Stretchers and Formers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to boots, shoes and other foot gear, and has for an object to provide a simple device for effectively stretching boots or shoes, as desired, or for use in the nature of a shoe tree to form or hold a boot or shoe in its normal or a desired shape. 7

Among other features the invention comprehends a device which can be quickly applied to a boot or shoe and which by its novel construction permits of the stretcher and former being applied to shoes or boots of different sizes for the purpose of stretching the boot or shoe or for retaining the normal shape thereof.

Still further embodiments of the invention reside in a device, consisting of few and simple parts that cannot readily get out of order and which parts are preferably made of stamped metal and of a configuration enabling the ready application thereof to the boot or shoe, at the same time insuring strength and durability.

In the further disclosure of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, constituting a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through a shoe, showing my device applied, the latter being in side elevation,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken through the device longitudinally,

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through the arch, and sole portion, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the arch.

Referring more particularly to the views, the device consists tion 10, a heel portion 11 an arch 12, a con necting link or element 18 and a suitable handle 14. The sole portion 10 is preferably formed of a piece of stamped material and it will be seen that its peculiar configuration adapts the same to the stretching of the shoe 15 when the sole portion is placed Specification of Letters Patent.

primarily of a sole por-' Patented May is, war. Seria11\T0. 129,564.

therein, for the reason that the sole portion is of a height suflicient to bear against the shoe at the point 16 and thus stretch the same, provided the desired pressure is applied. The arch 12, also formed of a single piece of stamped metal is secured upon the face of the sole portion 10 by having lugs 17 on the sole portion passing through openings 18. in the arch, or vice versa, and the arch is of a peculiar inverted U-shaped configuration, being further formed with opposed openings 19, suitable prongs or cars 20 being alSO formed on the arch at its rear end for a purpose which will be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

The heel portion is of a shape permitting the same to be readily inserted in the heel end of the shoe and suitably secured to the heel portion is a bracket 21, one end of which is bent to form the integral handle 14:, the U-shaped end of the connecting link 13 being hinged upon the bracket, as shown, with the forward or free ends of the link 13 formed to provide opposed lugs or prongs 22, adapted to be received in the openings 19.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the distance between the sole and heel portions 10 and 11 can be readily varied by advancing or retreating the prongs 22 to a new pair of the openings 19 in the arch 12 and thus the shoe stretcher and former can be accommodated to diiferent sizes of boots or shoes. In application the connecting link 13 will, after engagement of its free ends with the sole portion, be held substantially in a horizontal position and parallel to the sole of the boot or shoe, by the lugs 20 pro jecting from the arch and which tend to overlap or project over the sides of the con necting link, between its ends.

It will thus be apparent that the device described can be readily used in the nature of the usual shoe tree, for insertion in a boot or shoe to retain the normal shape thereof or, the sole portion can be inserted into the front end of the shoe and the heel portion then pressed downwardly in the heel end of the shoe thus forcing the sole portion farther forward so that its upwardly eX- tending sides or face will exert a stretching pressure upon the shoe or upon the upper of the shoe as desired, the distance between the sole and heel portions being arranged proportionately to the length of the shoe and the desired amount of stretching to which the shoe is to be subjected.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. 0.

openings, a link pivoted upon the heel port-ion and provided with oppositely disposed lugs at its forward changeable engagement with the different pairs of alined openings, and hooklike projections extending from the rear edge of the arch-shaped member to receive the link and hold the latter horizontally disposed, to facilitate the application of the device in a shoe or the like.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

, OTTO BINZEL.

Commissioner of Patent,

extremity for interv 

